Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

HISTORY OF THE PACIFIC STATES OF AMERICA
The works of hubert Howe Bancroft. Vol.
VIII. History of Central America; Vol. III.
San Francisco: The History Company, pub
fishers.
Mr.. Bancroft's third volume of the His
tory of Central America brings that ro-
mantle narrative up to 1887 from 1901. No
period in the history of the continent has
been more filled with eventful years. No
period in the worlds history has witnessed
such progress in art, science and discovery.
The volume before us, by the strongest
possible contrast, exhibits to us the opera
ton of the advance and retrogressive forces
of civilization upon this continent. While
the United States has kept abreast and ct
times led the world in all material pro-
gress, Central America, beyond the attain
ment OF independence, has not in the
same degree felt the impulses
which have moved US so rapidly
forward. With the beginning of the cent
ury the sentiment Of self government was
just beginning to find expression in the
Spanish Western provinces. Central Amer
lea, more fortunate than others, stepped
within the circle of free States without
CONFUSION or the shock of arms. But she
did not escape internicine tribulation. In
her new role she invited and received the
assault of domestic foes, and ever since has
been, with but brief respites, the battle
ground for party contention of a character
more tragic than any with which the peo-
pie of the United States-save in one in
stance-have been familiar. The volume
before US discusses in elaborate detail all
the events that marked the contest between
" the Church and an oligarchy to maintain
the upper hand" in each of the Central
American States. II treats of the Walker
Fl lihucfaripnr oyynlifinn ay1l of tho
schemes for interoceanic communication
by canal and by rail. England's claims to
the Mosquito coast and the Bay Islands and
other matters, political parties, the chang
ing forms of government in the several
States, industrial progress, institutional
matters ecclesiastical affairs and the social
condition of the people receive appropriate
consideration. As has been remarked by
Mr.. Bancroft, though Central America
may not have attracted the attention of
historians on the same scale that other
Spanish-American Republics have, the
country has been through the same ordeal
1t is, however, exceptional in the fact that
five weak States have preferred a separate
sovereign independence to being consol-
idated into powerful unity"
| The volume denotes treatment by Mr.. Ban
| croft of the same character applied in his
entire series to all the Pacific States. We
note so far as we have read the volume Ito
the thirteenth chapter and up to the civil
| war of 1854, the same judicial calm that
| has characterized the authorship, especially
| in the later volumes of the series. Even in
theearlier the impartial judgment has been
| the chief charm of the works. The earlier
| f1orid writing was mistaken by some mis-
led reviewers for the heat of prejudice.
| 1t was rather the enthusiasm of one deeply
| in love with his work, and to whom it was
the most momentous affair of life. From
| the beginning a chief value of these works
| has been their wealth of citation and won
| derful evidences of tireless research. We
can readily conceive that all possible wit
nesses to be called have been marshaled in
these books, and that the evidence has
been carefully weighed is undeniable. II
the conclusions reached from this judicial
examination have not always accorded
with those of the reader, he at least has
been exclusively supplied with all the tes
timony, and left at perfect liberty to for
mulate judgment for himself. Precon.
| ceived ideas concerning coast history have
| had more to do with adverse criticisms oil
Bancroft's works than inherent faults in
them. The judgment of literary men has
too often been based upon other read
ing of coast history, which authori-
ties have been accepted without question.
1t was something of rashness, in the est
nation of many, for Bancroft to enter the
field and shatter idols, to controvert sup
| posed facts and expose errors, and he has
in consequence, been compelled to take
| some punishment at the hands of adverse
| critics, who have now, however, mainly
been silenced by the burden of proofs and
the calmer judgment of the reading public
The voluminousness of the Bancroft His
tory has been the source of objection. 1t is
scarcely defensible, since if the history OF
any one OF the Pacific States is considered
alone, it will not be found that more atten-
ton has been given it than its importance
| and the value of the history to the future
justify. For instance, we have not found
that the three volumes of the history of the
Central American States is disproportionatt
to the gravity of the subject, or the pro-
| found interest their romantic annals
awaken. &c. too, considering the history
of California, we venture the prediction
that critical judges to come after us will
express no surprise that the details have
been extended to the limits they fill Il
| will rather be said that in the light of such
conflicting testimonies as relate to Califor-
mia history, the text of the historian is shor;
| of rather than in excess of Unsuitable
| bounds. Mr.. Bancroft's histories will not
| possibly, be so popularity read to-day as he
| would wish, but in the years to come they
will be recognized as the one complete,
| rounded and substantial foundation for all
after historical writing and reading upon
these subjects.
From John b. Alden, the publisher, New
| York, we have volumes l and of his edi-
| ton of the works of Shakespeare, edited by
| William George Clarke and William Adds
| Wright. The series is not only highly
valuable, as giving the most generally ac-
| cepted text, but the volumes are of the
narrow page style introduced recently by
Alden, and which make the lines SO much
more easy to read, because the rolling of
the eye necessitated by the single column
| of the broad page is almost wholly avoided.
Volume contains " The Tempest" 1.-TWO
Gentlemen of Verona, " The Merry Wives
of Windsor" and Measure for Measure"
| Volume contains The Comedy of Err
| rors, Much Ado About Nothing, ""Love's
Labor Lost" and Midsummer Nights
Dream"
The Magazine of Art" for May (Cassell
& Co., New York and London has for its
frontispiece an etching after Jules Worms
painting, Under the Chasm." The open
ing article has the late Randolph Caldecott
for its subject, and it is illustrated. A pa
per describing a lost art of making glass
follows, and "Glimpses of Artist Life"
Will NIL w liSOu u ItfitW
of NJ. Plon's work on Leone Leoni and
Pompeo Leoni,h and "Some Treasures of
the National Gallery" Copious art notes
close the number.
Harper & Bros. New York, have pub
lished and A. l.. Bancroft & Co., San Fran
cisco, have for sale the work of Benson J.
Losing, LID, author of the q Field Book
of the Revolution" entitled, Mary and
Martha, the Mother and the Wife of George
Washington" 1t is quarto, elegantly
gotten up and freely illustrated. The story
of these two lives is told with skill, and in
style to make the reading not alone in
structive, but greatly entertaining.
1.-THE Mexico of To-Day is the title oil
an 8yo. volume, by Solomon Bulkley